An unfortunate byproduct of Springtime is
the proliferation of home repair fraud perpetrated either by professional con
artists or unqualified and/or unlicensed contractors. The Illinois Office of the
Attorney General receives numerous complaints every year involving home
repairs.
The following is an illustration of the typical home repair scam:
A young man (let’s call him Joe) appeared at Mrs.
Jones’ door, at about noon. Joe told Mrs. Jones that he was completing a roof
repair project down the street. Joe said he was willing to give her a no
obligation, free roof inspection. Mrs. Jones thought that sounded like a good
idea.
When Joe returned from the roof, he
looked glum. “Mrs. Jones,” he said, “I’m afraid I’ve got bad news. Your roof
is in very bad condition. What’s worse, forecasters are predicting heavy rains
this Spring.” Joe prepared an estimate. “I’m afraid this roof repair will not
be cheap,” he said. “The cost will be $7,000.”
“Oh, my,” Mrs. Jones exclaimed, “that’s
so much money, and I just spent a large portion of my savings on medical
bills.”
Joe paused a moment, and remarked “Last
month, our company offered a discount for preferred clients. If you will let
me use your phone, I’ll call my supervisor and ask if I can offer you the same
deal.” When Joe got off the phone he said,
“Mrs. Jones, today is your lucky day. My supervisor told me that because I was
already in the area, and since we’ll probably have left over materials, I
could offer you a special 25% discount. The only condition to this great deal
is that you must sign this contract and write a check for the full amount
right now.”
A “special deal” good only if
“acted upon immediately” and paying up front for repairs are major
warning flags that should have put Mrs. Jones on the alert that she was the
target of a scam. Unfortunately, in many actual cases, trusting seniors have
lost much if not all of their life savings at the hand of unscrupulous scam
artists like Joe.
There are several simple steps to assure
that you do not lose money, and more importantly that you get a high quality
repair job performed on your home.
- Always ask for and check out references.
It’s amazing how often homeowners that get references fail to actually check
them. Ask the listed references about the type of work performed and whether
the quality was satisfactory.
- Never sign any documents on the spot.
Make sure you understand every word and condition contained in the contract.
If you are unsure about any provisions, ask a trusted friend or family member,
or consult an attorney for clarification before signing. Remember,
unscrupulous contractors will try to convince you that you must immediately
sign on the dotted line in order to get the “best deal”. A reputable
contractor’s quote will not expire until a reasonable time has passed.
- Never pay in full or sign a
“certificate of completion” for home repairs prior to the work being
completed. Many seniors have lost their life savings because they were
pressured into believing that the job could not be completed properly unless
the cost was paid in full prior to starting the job. It is a common practice
for contractors to ask for a portion of the total repair cost up front for
materials. However, if you are asked to pay more than one third of the total
cost prior to the beginning of work, that is probably a warning sign.
- You may have the right to cancel a home
repair contract within three (3) days, if you were pressured into signing by
an unsolicited salesperson.
If you think you or someone you know has
been defrauded or if you would like additional information about home repair
fraud, please contact the Illinois Attorney General’s office.
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